Steam generator

ABSTRACT

This is a unique design for a steam generator. The heating zone is not only equipped with two sections, vaporizing and steaming, to upgrade the efficiency, but also can be used as a bumper to minimize the back pressure from compressing chamber. The compressing zone is used to compress the vaporizing steam with the pressure for designated service in a restricted room. The inlet is placed at the bottom whereas the outlet at the top. This keeps the water feeding continuous and no water overflowing when the steam generator is not in use. The temperature controller set beside the inlet is used for temperature control as well as the safety protection. The fuse set behind the temperature controller is used to provide the user a more reliable consideration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention Different from the conventional steam generator, the present invention relates to a self-feeding steam generator with or without a supplementary pressure device from outside, such as a water pump or an air compressor, to keep the water feeding and steam venting continuous. The heat transfer from water into pressurized steam is controlled at two parts inside the steam generator: a heating zone in the heater, and a pressurizing chamber at the top. The heating zone is made up with the bulged strips spiral around on the heater and the inside wall of the case. There are two sections in this zone, the vaporizing section and the steaming section. In the first section, the water feeding from the inlet is vaporized, and it keeps on being heated up into saturated steam along with the channel, the bulged spiral strips sealed with the wall inside the case, in the second section. The saturated steam then goes up and expands in the chamber on the top and is compressed at the same time in this closed space ,called the pressurizing chamber, where the temperature is raised up to 120° C.-200° C. and the steam is compressed under pressure as required for service. As the pressurized steam vents out from the outlet, the back pressure is minimized in the heating zone because the room as a bumper to cause the pressure drop. Whereas the feeding water is not interrupted, the vaporizing water keeps pushing the steam up, a process on and on in service. With the unique design of the number and shape and size of the strips and the case, the temperature and the pressure can be controlled as required by the space of the heating zone and the pressurizing chamber and a temperature controller. The application can be diversified to many appliances, such as a steam iron, a steam vacuum cleaner, a steam mop, etc.

2. Description of Related Art

As shown in FIG. 1, the functions of this generator are defined in two zones, heating zone and pressurizing zone. The heating zone is a channel which is made up with the bulged strips spiral around on the heater and the wall inside the case. There are two sections in this zone, the vaporizing section and the steaming section. The pressurizing zone is a chamber at the top where the steam is re-heated and compressed. The steam generator is used upside down, the inlet at the bottom; the outlet on the top. The feeding water comes in from the inlet and is heated up into vapor in the first section. Along with the pressure going up, the vapor is then pushed up to the second section and is transformed into saturated steam. When the steam reaches to the chamber at the top, it is compressed in a closed space and is re-heated up to the temperature at 120° C.-200° C. as required for design. As the steam is vented out at the outlet, there is a back pressure created. It flows backwards along the channel but the pressure drops in the heating zone because of the space for expanding. This will minimize the pressure to flow backwards to interrupt the water to feed into the vaporizing section. The water tank is set on the top of the steam generator, so that the water in the water tank can be automatically fed into the steam generator with or without an additional force from a pump or a compressor. As the water feeding is continuous, the steam serving is stable and safe. When the steam generator is not in use, the water in the chamber will not be overflowed because the outlet is higher than the inlet, and the check valve at the inlet will shut off the water supply.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The critical points of this invention are the inlet placed at the bottom and the outlet placed at the top, and the heating zone comprised with bulged strips spiral around on the heater sealed with the wall inside the case, and the size of the pressurizing chamber at the top. The numbers and the shape and the height of the strips on the heater are varied to meet the requirement for service. The heating zone is divided into two sections, a section for vaporizing and a section for steaming. Section #1 provides the heat to generate the water into vapor. Section# 2 keeps the vapor warming up to saturated steam. Furthermore, the heating zone is also used as a bumper to minimize the back pressure when the steam is vending from the outlet and keeps the water feeding stable. The pressuring chamber is used for steam expanding and is also used to compress the expanding steam to the desired pressure in a closed space. When in use, the steam generator is set upside down. The water feeds into the steam generator at the inlet placed at the bottom on a cover plate. The steam vents out from the outlet placed at the top on the side or the bottom of the case. When not in use, the check valve will shut off the feeding water into the heating zone. The water will not overflow from the outlet because the outlet is always placed higher than the inlet. The temperature controller is set on the cover plate. It plays two functions: temperature control and safety. The fuse is set on the cover plate for further protection, which makes the steam generator more reliable for the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steam generator in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the steam generator in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view in partial section of the steam generator in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view in partial section of the steam generator in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the heater of the steam generator in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference from FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the steam generator 10 is composed of a case 20 and a heat generating body 40, and a temperature controller 32 and a fuse 34 on the cover plate 30. They all can be varied in size and shape for different applications. The shape and the size and the length of the case 20 determine the timing for heating and the pressurizing in operation. The outlet 14, set on the side or the bottom of the case 20, is always placed upside down in use. It is the short cut for steam venting and prevents the water from over flowing. The inlet 12 is set anywhere on the cover plate 30. It is always placed at the low position when it is upside down in use, so that the water feeding into the steam generator is easy from the water tank. When the steam generator is not in use, there is a check valve in front of the inlet 12 to shut off the feeding water into the steam generator. The heating zone 16 & 18, which is a space for heat transfer and a path, or a channel, for water and steam passing through to the pressurizing chamber 24, is made up by the wall inside the case 20 and the special design of the shape and the length of the heating body 40 and the height of the bulged strips 42 spiral around on the heater 40 plays two major functions: vaporizing and steaming. The heating zone is divided into two sections: the vaporizing section 18 and the steaming section 16. The water is heated up into steam in the first section 18. As the temperature and pressure are raised, the steam is pushed up into the second section 16 and is kept heated into saturated steam. The heating zone 16&18, on the other hand, also plays as a bumper to absorb the back pressure from the pressurizing chamber 24. As long as the water feeding and vaporizing is continuous, the steam serving is on and on. The space between the bottom of the heater 40 and the bottom of the case 20 is called the pressurizing zone 24. It is placed at the top because the steam generator is upside down in use. The size and the shape can also be varied as required for different applications. It is designed for steam expanding and being compressed into the designated pressure for service. The heating body 40 is composed of a heater 40 and a cover plate 30 with the inlet 12 and a temperature controller 32 and a fuse 34. The heater is made from a coiled electrical resistant 46 covered with aluminum, on which the bulged strips 42 are spiral. The numbers and the shapes and the height and the distance between the strips 42 and the capacity of the electrical resistant 50 are diversified by the design as required for applications. The temperature controller 32 mounted on the cover plate 30 is used for temperature control and safety as well. The fuse 34 is used for further safety consideration and reliability for the user.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A steam generator composed of two zones including a heating zone and a pressurizing zone, wherein the heating zone, which includes a vaporizing section and a steaming section, is a space sealed with bulged strips spiral around on the heater and a wall inside the case, and the pressurizing zone is a chamber between a bottom of the case and a bottom of the heater.
 2. The steam generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating body is composed of the cover plate and a coiled electrical resistant merged in aluminum with the bulged strips around on the surface.
 3. The steam generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bulged spiral strip as a channel leads the water feeding from an inlet to heat up into vapor and steam to vent out at an outlet.
 4. The steam generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein a temperature controller is placed on the cover plate near an inlet.
 5. The steam generator as claimed in claim 4, whereas a fuse is wired up behind the temperature controller. 